Three teens arrested after shooting at camp

STOCKTON - Police arrested three teenagers late Tuesday suspected of attempted murder after police said they returned to a homeless camp with a shotgun to confront a resident following a perceived act of disrespect.

STOCKTON - Police arrested three teenagers late Tuesday suspected of attempted murder after police said they returned to a homeless camp with a shotgun to confront a resident following a perceived act of disrespect.

The intended victim, a 42-year-old man, was not injured. He told investigators he was chased by the three suspects to a nearby business, where he called police. Officers found the suspects hiding close by with a shotgun.

One of the suspects said in a jail interview that he felt threatened and was defending himself but never fired a gun. But police say there is evidence of a shooting.

The incident occurred about 11:37 p.m. Tuesday in a strip of state-owned land bordering the west bank of Interstate 5 north of the 700 block of West Anderson Street. The homeless people who live there say the teens have regularly come into their camp at dusk or after dark for several weeks, randomly firing off guns, intimidating campers and taking possessions.

"I think they're wanting to sell drugs or make money or steal stuff. I've had everything I own pillaged and ransacked," said Shaun Irish, 43, a camp resident since 2012.

He believes the teens came into the camp with the guns to send a message "so nobody messes with them."

Irish said the intended victim, who would not comment for this story, had stood up to the teens several days prior to the incident and told them to stop shooting.

When they found him, one of the suspects fired the shotgun and missed, instead striking the encampment where he lives, according to police.

Interviewed in jail Wednesday afternoon, one of the teens gave a different account.

"The only time we would go in there was to hunt down rabbits, and that was away from all people," said Guillermo Bastida, 18, of Stockton, who faces several felony counts, including attempted willful murder, conspiracy and street terrorism. He is being held without bail in the San Joaquin County Jail in French Camp.

Bastida admitted that he participated in an assault on a homeless man Tuesday night but said the man pulled a knife on him and his friends.

"I felt our lives were in danger," Bastida said.

Bastida said the man identified by police as the victim actually had two knives, "seen us and he started going crazy, then he pulled out the knives. He hit my friend with a rock the other day. It was unprovoked, out of nowhere," Bastida said.

Bastida denied taking or stealing anything from the homeless camp. He also said he's been cooperative with authorities and had never been in serious trouble before.

"I'm just taking responsibility for everything. No matter if it was something I did or not, I still want the responsibility for basically everything that happened there," Bastida said. "I'm just here to serve my time and get out."

Contact reporter Joe Goldeen at (209) 546-8278 or jgoldeen@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/goldeenblog and on Twitter @JoeGoldeen.